Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Twenty-five years ago, this wonderful man named Chuck officiated at our ceremony. The words he used really resonated with us, they reflected the way we felt about our commitment to each other. At the end of the ceremony, he gave us two white roses, and asked us to exchange them. They symbolized our love for each other. He asked that we rededicate ourselves to each other and our marriage every year on our anniversary and that we exchange a white rose.

We have done that many times over the years. Not every year, life gets in the way. We decided to do it this year. So we got two long-stemmed roses from our local florist and, on a spectactularly sunny day, we drove up the mountain to a favorite overlook where we can see the Hudson Valley far below. There were already a few people there and we wanted a bit of privacy for our exchange, so we waited in the car for a bit. Three youngish people (2 men and a woman) who had been standing there got back in their car. Another guy was a hanging around, but just him, so we got out of the car and walked to the overlook. I said that we should grab the opportunity because this was a rare break in the stream of people that would appear. We turned to each other and said the words that were in our hearts and exchanged roses and kissed. Suddenly, we heard the sound of clapping. The three people in the car had been watching us and were applauding us! We told them that it was our 25th wedding anniversary. More applause. The beautiful young woman was hanging out of a window and Don asked her if she could take our picture. Yes. She climbed out of the car and took Don’s phone, crouching down to get just the right angle. I had heard her say that all three of them were photographers, but Don hadn’t. So, he started to say “Make sure you get the valley in the background” and she assured him that she knew what she was doing. She took a couple photos, congratulated us, we thanked her profusely, and they pulled out of the parking area.

Synchronicity, timing. We were a little late leaving our house to go get the roses, but actually, we weren’t. We got there right when we were supposed to be there. We were so moved by their spontaneous applause, by their generosity and their kindness. In view of what is happening in the world, this was the reminder we needed; there are good people everywhere. Truly good people.

We drove down to our local college town because it was such a beautiful day and decided to get a veggie burger from a place called Moonburger. It’s just opened up in this town, there’s another one just north of us. I had heard very good things about it. It’s the kind of place where you order to-go and you eat elsewhere. The guy behind the counter was so nice and when he heard it was our anniversary he gave us free tickets for a future burger and milkshake and saw us off with a “Happy Anniversary!” Again, kindness. Goodness.

At Moonburger, waiting for our order.

We headed back to the car and realized we were right outside our favorite chocolate shop. We love their chocolates and one of the draws is their selection of sugar-free chocolates. We haven’t ordered from them for months because they’re expensive. (We also never eat out because…it usually costs too much money.) But we looked at each other and said “It’s our anniversary!” So we walked in the door and were greeted by everyone as long-lost friends. As we stood in front of the counter, I said to Don, “What did I order before?” And the woman behind the counter – who was taking care of someone else –  immediately said, “the marshmallow and the chocolate truffles.” I couldn’t believe she remembered. Then a few minutes later, I said “how many did I buy?” She heard me and answered “a dozen of each.” Again, I couldn’t believe that with all the traffic this place gets she remembered my usual order after several months – maybe even a year. Everyone was so kind and helpful and we knew that the day and everything we’d done was meant to be. Everywhere we turned, we ran into good people.

We needed that. Not just because it was our anniversary, but because it is easy to lose faith in people, to look on everyone else as a potential political enemy or simply as a stranger who you most likely have nothing in common with. It’s easy to lose faith in our fellow man. It really felt as if the universe was guiding us through the day, telling us to let go of any control we might want to impose. Just be. Be open, be happy, and watch what happens. We didn’t erect any social barriers and good people appeared everywhere.

It was an amazing experience.

Look for the goodness in people. Expect it. You will not only find it, but your life will be better for it.

A beautiful day.

We are blessed.

Thank you for your beautiful comments and congratulations on our anniversary. I am blessed by your presence in my life.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.